At first, I had to do it without recursion (just by looping which is pretty easy).
Now I have to do it with recursion, but I am not allowed to use any loop.
I guess I have to run down the list with recursion, but I don't quite understand what should be my base, or the reduction...
def long_strings_rec(strings, N):
'''
strings - a list of strings
N - an integer
Returns all strings in 'strings' of length bigger then 'N'
(This function is recursive and does not use loops)
'''
# Your code for question #2 (second function) starts here
# Your code for question #2 (second function) ends here
Any ideas? Can I have maybe an example of how to use recursion to take actions on lists indexes?
I used the helper function to do that, like #7stud suggested:
def helper (strings, K, results):
if len(strings) == 0:
return 0
elif len(strings[0]) > K:
results.append(strings[0])
strings.pop(0)
else:
strings.pop(0)
helper(strings, K, results)
return results
def long_strings_rec (strings, N):
'''
strings - a list of strings
N - an integer
Returns all strings in 'strings' of length bigger then 'N'
(This function is recursive and does not use loops)
'''
# Your code for question #2 (second function) starts here
return helper(strings, N, [])
# Your code for question #2 (second function) ends here
Worked like a charm. Hope it's not buggy.
Here's an example of how to use an accumulator:
def sum(nums):
return helper(nums, 0) #0 is the initial value for the accumulator
def helper(nums, total): #total is the accumulator
if len(nums) == 0:
return total
else:
num = nums.pop()
return helper(nums, total+num)
print sum([1, 2, 3])
--output:--
6
Basically, you redefine sum() so that it takes an additional accumulator parameter variable, then have sum() call the new function.
See if you can apply those principles to your problem.
As bjorn pointed out in the comments, you could do it like this too:
def mysum(nums, total=0):
if len(nums) == 0:
return total
else:
num = nums.pop()
return sum(nums, total+num)
print mysum([1, 2, 3])
--output:--
6
Related
Question: Given an array of integers nums and an integer target, return indices of the two numbers such that they add up to target.Each input would have exactly one solution, and you may not use the same element twice. for example.
Input: nums = [2,7,11,15], target = 9
Output: [0,1]
Output: Because nums[0] + nums[1] == 9, we return [0, 1].
I'm trying one make a helper function that add the first number with each of the rest number, and run this helper function recursively on the give list nums. I'm not sure where my codes is wrong. (I know there are other more efficient algorithms, for the purpose of exercise pls stick to this approach)
class Solution:
def twoSum(self, nums: List[int], target: int) -> List[int]:
# One function that takes a list, and find out first + i ==target, if exists
def help_(lst,tar):
for i, n in enumerate(lst[1:],start=1):
if lst[0]+n ==tar:
return i
else:
return False
ctn=0
#base case, if a sublist whose first num + another another is target
if help_(nums,target) != False:
return [0+ctn,help_(nums,target)+ctn] # return two indices from helper, adding the time it looped
else:
ctn =+1
return help_(nums[1:],target)
There are a few issues:
Your recursive call return help_(nums[1:],target) will not return a pair, but one index (or False), so this should never be returned in the main function. Instead make the recursive call on twoSum, which will return a pair (if successful). Then you will still need to add 1 to both indices before returning that.
The helper function is returning always in the first iteration of the loop. You should move the return False out of the loop's body.
It is a pity that you call the helper function twice with the same arguments. Just store the result in a temporary variable to avoid re-executing it
Here is your code with those corrections:
class Solution:
def twoSum(self, nums, target):
# One function that takes a list, and find out first + i ==target, if exists
def help_(lst,tar):
for i, n in enumerate(lst[1:],start=1):
if lst[0]+n ==tar:
return i
return False
ctn=0
res = help_(nums,target)
if res != False:
return [0+ctn, res+ctn]
else:
ctn =+1
x, y = self.twoSum(nums[1:], target)
return x+1, y+1
As you noted in your question this is not the most efficient way to solve this problem.
Using a dictionary leads to a better time complexity. In case you cannot find it, here is such a solution (spoiler):
d = { target - num: i for i, num in enumerate(nums)}`
return next((i, d[j]) for i, j in enumerate(nums) if j in d.keys() and i != d[j])
Your approach is globally valid (the implementation is not) but you have to keep track of a lot of parameters
The ideal is to only check the combinations:
nums = [2,7,11,15]
s = 9
from itertools import combinations
for (i,a),(j,b) in combinations(enumerate(nums), r=2):
if a+b == s:
print(i,j)
Output: 0 1
NB. I purposely proposed an answer with a module to give you the chance to rewrite it with a classical loop
for i in range(len(nums) - 1):
for j in range(i + 1, len(nums)):
total = nums[i] + nums[j]:
if total == target:
return nums[i], nums[j]
I'm trying to convert below code to recursive function but seems i'm quite confusing how could i write below in recursive function. could help me to give some thoughts?
Basically, what I'm generating below is the sum of the first n odd numbers.
def sum_odd_n(n):
total=0
j=2*n-1
i=1
if i>j:
return 1
else:
total =((j+1)/2)**2
i+=2
return total
> >>> sum_odd_n(5)
> 25.0
> >>> sum_odd_n(4)
> 16.0
> >>> sum_odd_n(1)
> 1.0
This smells somewhat like homework so I'm going to offer some advice instead of a solution.
Recursion is about expressing a problem in terms of itself.
Suppose you know the sum of the odd numbers from N to N - 2.
Can you write the total sum in terms of this sum and the function itself (or a related helper function)?
Recursive functions have at least one base case and at least one recursive call. Here are some hints:
def f(n):
# Base case - for which
# n do we already know the answer
# and can return it without
# more function calls? (Clearly,
# this must also terminate any
# recursive sequence.)
if n == ???:
return ???
# Otherwise, lets say we know the answer
# to f(n - 1) and assign it to
# the variable, 'rest'
rest = f(n - 1)
# What do we need to do with 'rest'
# to return the complete result
return rest + ???
Fill out the question marks and you'll have the answer.
Try:
def sum_of_odd(n):
if n>0:
x=(n*2)-1
return x+sum_of_odd(n-1)
else:
return 0
The answer of this:
sum_of_odd(5)
will be:
25
Try :
def sum_odd_n(n):
if n>0:
if n==1:
return 1
else:
return 2*n-1 + sum_odd_n(n-1)
I am supposed to write two functions that do the exact same thing but their implementation is different.
The function takes as input a list of positive integers and a positive integer n, and returns True if two of the numbers in list equal to n. Otherwise, it returns False.
The first function is supposed to use a nested a loop, which I was able to get.
The second functions is not supposed to use a nested loop. However, you are supposed to sort the list out and then solve the problem.
Here is what I have for the second function.
def pairs2(lst, n):
lst.sort()
if len(lst) == 2:
if lst[0] + lst[1] == n:
return True
else:
return False
elif len(lst) >= 3:
for i in range(len(lst) - 1):
if lst[0] + lst[i + 1] == n:
return True
lst.remove(lst[0])
pairs2(lst, n)
The function works until the last two lines are implemented. After that, it doesn't return anything. What is wrong with my function?
Also, are they any other alternatives to that I do not use recursion? I just came up with using recursion since it was the first idea that I got.
A recursive algorithm that eliminates the largest number at each recursive step:
def pairs2(lst, n, s=False):
if len(lst) < 2: return False
if not s: lst = sorted(lst)
for item in lst:
if item + lst[-1] > n:
return pairs2(lst[:-1], n, True)
if item + lst[-1] == n:
print item, lst[-1]
return True
return False
The s parameter indicates whether the list is already sorted or not.
def pairs2(lst, n):
[pair for pair in itertools.combinations(lst,2) if sum(pair) == n]
Instead of using recursion, you could use the brute-force approach to find the pairs using the itertools.combinations.
Read more about itertools: https://docs.python.org/2/library/itertools.html
I am new to programming, and was trying to solve this problem on Project Euler using basic Python.
Essentially, I tried to use recursion based on the largest value chosen at every stage, and using a list to maintain possible options for future choices.
The code is short and is given below:
def func(n,l):
if n<0:
return 0
if l==[1] or n==0:
return 1
else:
j=0
while l != []:
j=j+func(n-l[0],l)
del l[0]
return j
print func(200,[200,100,50,20,10,5,2,1])
For instance, if we have
func(5,[5,2,1])
the recursion splits it into
func(0,[5,2,1]) + func(3,[2,1]) + func(4,[1])
But the code never seems to go through. Either it says that there is a list-index-out-of-range error, or a maximum-recursion-depth error (even for very small toy instances). I am unable to find the mistake. Any help will be much appreciated.
In Python lists are passed into functions by reference, but not by value. The simplest fix for your program is changing recursive call to func(n - l[0], l[:]). In this way list will be passed by value.
One thing you're failing to take into account is that the following:
j=j+func(n-l[0],l)
doesn't make a copy of l.
Therefore all recursive invocations of func operate on the same list. When the innermost invocation deletes the last element of l and returns, its caller will attempt to del l[0] and will get an IndexError.
At each recursion, make the following 2 decisions:
Take the first coin (say f) from available coin types, then check if we can made (n-f) from those coins. This results in a sub-problem func(n - f, l)
Ignore the first coin type, and check if we can make n from the remaining coin types. This results in a sub-problem func(n, l[1:])
The total number of combinations should be the sum of the two sub-problems. So the code goes:
def func(n, l):
if n == 0:
return 1
if n < 0 or len(l) == 0:
return 0
if l == [1] or n == 0:
return 1
return func(n - l[0], l) + func(n, l[1:])
Each recursion a copy of l is made by l[1:]. This can be omitted by pop element before next recursion and restore with append afterwards.
def func(n, l):
if n == 0:
return 1
if n < 0 or len(l) == 0:
return 0
if l == [1] or n == 0:
return 1
full = func(n - l[-1], l)
last = l.pop()
partial = func(n, l)
l.append(last)
return full + partial
def digits(n):
res = []
while n > 0:
res.append(n % 10)
n /= 10
return res
I want to rewrite this function so it uses recursion. I'm currently lost as to what to do. Can anyone give me some direction?
To create a recursive function you need to determine two things:
1) The base case - the condition on which you want to stop recursion
2) The general case - what to do on every input but the base case
You have already found both of these things, the base case is the while loop condition and the general case is the inside of the while loop. Try to use this information to move forward.
Here's a possible solution:
def digits(n):
if n < 10:
return [n]
return digits(n/10) + [n%10]
digits(123)
> [1, 2, 3]
The above solution fixes a bug in your code, you were returning the digits in reverse order. Also notice that n must be an integer greater than or equal to zero for producing correct results.
Here's how it works:
If the number is less than 10, then return a list with the number, as there are no more digits to be processed
If the number is greater than 9, get the last digit in the current number and add it to the end of the list that results of recursively calling digits on a smaller number - namely, the number without the last digit that we just processed.
The call to digits(123) will look like this at each step of the recursion:
digits(123) = digits(123/10) + [3]
digits(12) = digits(12/10) + [2]
digits(1) = [1]
Now we go up the call stack:
[1]
[1] + [2]
[1, 2] + [3]
[1, 2, 3]
EDIT :
Accepting #thg435's challenge, here's a tail-recursive solution:
def digits(n):
def loop(i, acc):
if i < 10:
return [i] + acc
return loop(i/10, [i%10] + acc)
return loop(n, [])
When you use recursion, a good basis is to have two cases to check, a base case and a recursive case. The base case is the conditions and result under which the program returns, in your case, the base case would be when n > 0 (If you think of it like a while loop, it's the condition for the while loop exiting). The recursive case (there can be multiple of these) occur when the loop isn't done, if you compare to a while loop, this is basically the body of the loop. At the end of the recursive case, you need to call the function again with your changes to the input, in this case n/10.
So, your function definition would be something like:
def digits(n):
For the base case, you want to check if n is 0, and, if it is, return the empty list:
if n <= 0:
return []
Now, in the recursive case, you want to append n%10 to the list and call your function again, only you want to call it with a different n, changed as you had it in your while loop:
else:
return [n%10]+digits(n/10)
So, if you trace this through, for every recursive case, you get a list containing n%10, then it adds the result of the new call, which will be either (n/10)%10 or the empty list. For example, running this function with n=100 would break down like this:
newlist = digits(100)
newlist = [100%10]+digits(100/10)
newlist = [100%10]+([10%10] + digits(10/10))
newlist = [100%10]+([10%10] + ([1%10] + digits(10/10)))
newlist = [100%10]+([10%10] + ([1%10] + ([])))
newlist = [0,0,1]
Nested parens are used to show how the function digits gets rewritten inline.
def digits(n):
res = []
res.append(n%10)
n /= 10
if n != 0:
return res + digits(n)
else:
return res